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28 July 2023 / Stephen Gold
Issue: 8035 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Civil way , CPR
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Civil way: 28 July 2023

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Cross-examiner crisis; new possession help; interest on costs; bank liability for fraud.

ABOUT TURN

Need a few bob? Frequent and widespread difficulties are being encountered in finding advocates to act as qualified legal representatives (QLRs) to cross-examine vulnerable witnesses under ss 65–66 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (see ‘Civil way’, 172 NLJ 7985, p15). We know because the president of the family division has reported on this serious state of affairs. In this month’s View from the President’s Chambers, he suggests that if there are no takers within 28 days, the court should list the case for directions and direct that some summary information is provided by HMCTS about the difficulties that have been encountered. FPR PD 3AB, para 8.1(b) permits termination of a QLR appointment. Giving consideration to termination, he says, will provide a further opportunity to canvas any other options such as directly instructing an advocate. Notwithstanding the guidance that the court should not itself conduct the cross-examination, this did not trump the overriding objective

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

Switalskis—Grimsby

Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

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Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
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NLJ this week: Surrogacy children caught in succession gap
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
NLJ this week: Online safety law at a crossroads
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
NLJ this week: Do Mandelson and Mountbatten-Windsor meet the misconduct bar?
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
NLJ this week: Supreme Court unlocks ‘lost years’ windfall for injured children
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
NLJ this week: Finality trumps freedom in arbitration showdown
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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